BREAKING NEWS: José Mourinho sacked by Manchester United

Manchester United have sacked manager Jose Mourinho with immediate affect.

The 55-year-old leaves Old Trafford by after failing to turn around a disastrous start to the season.

The final straw came after Man Utd’s 3-1 defeat at Liverpool– but he has been pushed closer to the edge with each passing week as his reign descended into crisis.

A statement released by the club read: “Manchester United announces that manager Jose Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect.

“The club would like to thank Jose for his work during his time at Manchester United and to wish him success in the future.

“A new caretaker manager will be appointed until the end of the current season, while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time manager.”

Mourinho, had been given assurances over his position following reports he was due to be sacked before the October international break.

Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward was determined to give his manager time to turn United’s fortunes around. But it was the tension between the two over United’s summer transfer business that lay the foundations for the troubles that followed.

Mourinho was infuriated by the failure to land a top class centre back and a right winger after delivering United’s highest Premier League finish since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement – ending last season as runners-up to Manchester City.

He cut an increasingly frustrated figure as the problems at Old Trafford deepened and rifts developed within the dressing room.

The Portuguese began to show signs of the strain he was under – bemoaning the scrutiny on his position and its effect on the people around him.

“If tomorrow it rains in London, it’s my fault,” he said. “If there is some difficulty to have the agreement of Brexit, it’s my fault.

“A clear man hunting that I think in football is too much.

“I am 55 years old. I am mature. I can cope with it and I can live with it.

“I think clearly, some of the boys they are not the man who is hunted, they are not coping well with it.

“For me it’s not easy too, but life is made of experiences. Some are new and some are deja vu.

“This is new, but I think it makes me not just a better manager, but a better human.

“I cope with it, with some sadness obviously, and I survive, I am mature, I am a big boy.”